<p>PHOTOS COURTESY Marcus Lucas, Skydive Sebastian</p><p>âIâve never felt more alive. It ignites your senses,â said #TCPalmSocial photographer Molly Bartels, who skydives for the first time with Skydive Sebastian tandem instructor, Uwe von Dewitz, near the Sebastian Airport. âTandem skydiving is very safe. Skydiving accidents happen when experienced people try to exceed their experience levels,â said Skydive Sebastian owner, Jim Iannaccone. The FAA requires tandem parachute rigs to be equipped with a main and reserve parachute, as well as an automatic activation device (AAD), which deploys the reserve </p>

As I sat in the doorway of the Cessna Grand Caravan turboprop airplane with my legs dangling over the edge at 13,500 feet, I was so far outside my comfort zone that I couldn’t begin to find it with the Hubble telescope.

Snugly attached to my back was veteran Skydive Sebastian instructor, Uwe von Dewitz. Sitting next to me was my longtime enemy, fear. And we were about to battle.

I’ve been afraid to fly since I took a commercial flight almost a decade ago. Mid-route, the airplane lost altitude quickly and made an emergency landing. I’ve needed some combination of Xanax, lavender oil and breathing exercises to survive every subsequent flight.

Before that experience, though, skydiving was on my list of things to do before I turned 40. And it was suggested for #TCPalmSocial’s adventure series, which tracks down fun, unique things to do on the Treasure Coast. I knew Skydive Sebastian was reputable and had a tight-knit community of passionate skydivers.

“We have a 100 percent safety rating on tandem skydiving,” said von Dewitz, who was born in Namibia and has been an instructor since 1996.

The business has been in operation since 1994 and under the same ownership since 2000. Students come from all over the world to learn to skydive there because of the coastal location, good weather and affordable courses taught by experienced instructors.

In my rational mind, a place absent of fear, I knew this was my time and place to skydive.

But as von Dewitz rocked us forward in that open doorway, my desire to defeat fear fled and I lost all interest in having another life-expanding experience. I was terrified and briefly considered pushing back into the birthing position to brace my legs in the doorway and scream, “Abort Mission! Abort Mission!”

Luckily, I didn’t get to make any decisions at 13,500 feet. We went forward out of that plane, falling at about 120 mph.

Euphoria took over and expanded throughout my body. Von Dewitz tapped me on the shoulders to remind me to open my arms. Because of the descent rate, it’s loud, so communication is done with hand signals.

With arms outstretched like wings, I felt buffered by a cushion of air. Surprisingly, there wasn’t that “stomach in throat” feeling that I get on roller coasters. During free fall, which lasts about 60 seconds, von Dewitz deployed a drogue, or mini parachute, that moderated our speed and kept it safe for the opening of the main parachute, or canopy, at around 5,500 feet.

Once he pulled the handle for the main parachute, I felt a strong force against my body as it was pulled vertically out of the horizontal free fall position. For the next 5 minutes, we watched the scenery below while gently floating back toward Earth at 10-15 m.p.h. As I looked out over the multi-blue hues of the coastline, I felt calm, not fear.

Skydivers say they know why the birds sing. It was during this time that I came to know that, too. It’s unexpectedly peaceful and quiet, only the sound of the wind moving through the canopy and the lines.

On our way down, von Dewitz moved the steering lines into my hands, telling me to pull hard on the left one. We turned quickly toward the ocean. I wasn’t prepared to feel that power from the canopy. It’s like the pull from a kite, multiplied by a hundred. I pulled hard on the right one and we swung back around.

The teeny, tiny houses were getting bigger and von Dewitz was in my ear telling me how we would land. There’s so much to feel and absorb that the five minutes under canopy pass quickly. Aside from moving my body into a few positions, my only job was to enjoy the experience; von Dewitz was responsible for all the lifesaving actions.

As we came flying in, I pulled my knees to my chest, von Dewitz put his feet down and then, amid my too-loud screaming, it was all over.

*Pay extra for the photo/video package. They do a great job of capturing the whole experience and you will want to replay it.

*Keep your eyes open and look out. You will want to close them when you jump but don’t. The view is spectacular.

*They won’t allow you to go if you have been drinking or are under the influence of drugs. You want to be able to experience your skydive with a clear mind anyway.

*Visit www.skydiveseb.com and its tandem skydive FAQ section for more information.

MOLLY'S TREASURE COAST ADVENTURES Horseback riding on the beach. Skydiving in Sebastian. Paddling under the full moon on the Indian River Lagoon. #TCPalmSocial photographer Molly Bartels wants to experience all the adventures the Treasure Coast has to offer, and share her best tips and recommendations with you.